Continuous casting mold

ABSTRACT

A vertical mold for receiving molten metal and forming therein a continuous billet or slab has a lower portion comprised of a single curved wall and three conjunctive planar walls; whereby the billet or slab is drawn continuously from an upper rectangular portion of the mold wherein it is formed and is curved by the lower portion of the mold toward the horizontal.

United States Patent 1 Barber [45 1 Aug. 7, 1973 1 CONTINUOUS CASTINGMOLD [75] Inventor: Sherman H. Barber, Pittsburgh,

Pa. [73] Assignee: Koppers Company, Pittsburgh,

[22] Filed: Apr. 5, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 131,134

[52] U.S. Cl. 164/283, 164/273 [51] Int. Cl B22d 11/12 [58] Field ofSearch 164/89, 283, 282,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,559,719 2/1971 Rossi164/273 R 3,338,295 8/1967 Scribner 164/89 2,947,075 8/1960Schneckenburger et a1. 164/283 X 3,313,006 4/1967 Barbe et a1. 164/2833,391,725 7/1968 Rossi 164/282 X Primary Examiner-J. Spencer OverholserAssistant ExaminerV. K. Rising Attorney-Sherman H. Barber, Oscar B.Brumback and Olin E. Williams [57] ABSTRACT A vertical mold forreceiving molten metal and forming therein a continuous billet or slalbhas a lower portion comprised of a single curved wall and threeconjunctive planar walls; whereby the billet or slab is drawncontinuously from an upper rectangular portion of the mold wherein it isformed and is curved by the lower portion of the mold toward thehorizontal.

8 Claims, 4Drawing Figures PAFENIED I115 7 FIG. 5

.I N VEN TOR.

SHERMAN H. BAREER CONTINUOUS CASTING MOLD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Inorder to reduce the overall height and the inital investment in acontinuous casting facility, which heretofore included a straightvertical mold, and which heretofore produced straight billets or slabs,it has been customary to bend the cast strand or slab by means of poweractuated rollers located at some selected distance below the mold. Thedistance below the mold is related directly to the thickness of the skinof the cast strand or slab; because, until a sufficiently thick skin isformed, the strand or slab cannot safely be bent without risking abreak-out or damage to the strand or slab.

Another method includes using a casting mold having two opposed curvedwalls and two planar walls that are conjunctive with the curved walls.Such a mold has been proposed in the prior art, but it appears that sucha mold is costly to make and has not proved to be entirely satisfactory.

The present invention, however, relates to a continuous casting moldthat is relatively less costly to manufacture and is more suitable forproducing a curved continuous strand or slab than the molds available inthe prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING One embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a casting mold in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view in a vertical plane through the mold ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational side view of a modification of the mold of FIG.1; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another modification of the moldof FIG.1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, a vertical continuous castingmold II in accordance with the invention comprises an upper rectangularportion 13 having a central rectangular opening 15 extendingtherethrough and an arcuate shaped lower portion 17.

The upper rectangular portion 13 comprises four mutually cooperativehollow walls 19, 21, 23, and 25 in which a cooling fluid, such as water,flows in the usual manner. A fluid outlet connection 27 to the interiorof wall 25 is shown. The interior space of each wall communicatesfluidly with the interior of the other walls.

The lower portion 17 is channel shaped and comprises one arcuatelyshaped hollow wall 29 that fluidly communicates with wall 21 of theupper portion 13, and two hollow side parallel walls 31, 33 that fluidlycommunicate with walls 19 and 23 respectively. The arcuate wall 29 isprovided with a fluid inlet connection as shown in FIG. 2.

From FIG. 2, it will be noted that molten metal 35 flows from a tundish37 into the mold 11, and a cast strand or slab 39 continually emergesfrom the lower channel-shaped portion 17.

It will be noted From FIG. 2 also that the bottom 41 of the hollow wall25 terminates at a level that is just slightly below the level 43 withinthe mold 1 l at which the cast strand or slab 39 shrinks away from theinterior surface of the wall 25.

Thus, the curvature of the arcuate wall 29 induces a curvature in thecontinuous cast strand or slab 39 as it is withdrawn from the mold 11.

The mold 11 may be agitated by electrically motivated vibratory means 45(FIG. 3) known in the art to prevent sticking of the cast strand or slabin the mold. In some other instances the mold may be pivoted about acenter 47 remotely located from the mold 11 by means of a poweredactuated arm 49 mechanism, similar to those devices known from the priorart.

Those skilled in the art will recognize several significant features andadvantages in the present invention among which are:

The mold of the present invention is simple to make and is less costlythan the curved continuous casting molds known in the prior art; and

That the single arcuate wall of the mold is effective to produce bendingof the cast strand or slab from the vertical toward the horizontal,thereby eliminating conventional bending rolls and the like which areused to produce bending in a vertically straight casting.

What is claimed is:

l. A flow-through continuous casting mold comprismg:

a. a rectangular upper portion, and a conjunctive b. channel-shapedlower portionhaving one arcuately shaped wall and spaced apartconjunctive parallel planar side walls, the lower portion of said moldbeing open opposite the arcuately shaped wall to permit the egress of astrand being continuously cast in said mold, with c. said upper andlower portions: being comprised of hollow walls wherein a cooling fluidflows.

2. The invention of claim 1 including:

a. a fluid inlet connection, and

b. a fluid outlet connection in said mold to admit and remove saidcooling fluid from said mold.

3. The invention of claim'2 includingf a. means for agitating said mold.

4. The invention of claim 2 including:

a. means for vibrating said mold.

5. The invention of claim Zincluding:

a. means for oscillating said mold in a vertical plane.

6. A flow-through continuous casting mold comprismg: a

t a. an upper portion comprised of four mutually coop- ,erative planarwalls defining a rectangular casting cavity;

b. a channel-shaped lower portion conjunctive with said upper portionand having one arcuately shaped wall and a pair of opposed spaced apartparallel planar walls, said arcuateand said planar walls being thecontinuation of three of the four upper walls and extending below thelower termination of the fourth wall of the upper portion, with a. meansfor vibrating said mold. 8. The invention of claim 6 including:

a. means for oscillating said mold in a vertical plane.

1. A flow-through continuous casting mold comprising: a. a rectangularupper portion, and a conjunctive b. channel-shaped lower portion havingone arcuately shaped wall and spaced apart conjunctive parallel planarside walls, the lower portion of said mold being open opposite thearcuately shaped wall to permit the egress of a strand beingcontinuously cast in said mold, with c. said upper and lower portionsbeing comprised of hollow walls wherein a cooling fluid flows.
 2. Theinvention of claim 1 including: a. a fluid inlet connection, and b. afluid outlet connection in said mold to admit and remove said coolingfluid from said mold.
 3. The invention of claim 2 including: a. meansfor agitating said mold.
 4. The invention of claim 2 including: a. meansfor vibrating said mold.
 5. The invention of claim 2 including: a. meansfor oscillating said mold in a vertical plane.
 6. A flow-throughcontinuous casting mold comprising: a. an upper portion comprised offour mutually cooperative planar walls defining a rectangular castingcavity; b. a channel-shaped lower portion conjunctive with said upperportion and having one arcuately shaped wall and a pair of opposedspaced apart parallel planar walls, said arcuate and said planar wallsbeing the continuation of three of the four upper walls and extendingbelow the lower termination of the fourth wall of the upper portion,with both said upper and said lower wall portions being hollow and fluidcooled; and c. means for agitating said mold.
 7. The invention of claim6 including: a. means for vibrating said mold.
 8. The invention of claim6 including: a. means for oscillating said mold in a vertical plane.